Spurs Suffer Champions League Humiliation in Madrid
Jamie O'Hara faced another brutal mocking from Jason Cundy immediately following Tottenham Hotspur's devastating 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid. The talkSPORT pundit didn't hold back, urging the club to sack interim manager Igor Tudor, whom O'Hara labeled a 'fraud.'
Emotional Outburst on talkSPORT
Former Tottenham midfielder O'Hara, 39, was visibly distraught after the north London strugglers collapsed in Spain. The defeat casts significant doubt over the future of Tudor, who was appointed on a temporary basis just 26 days ago.
'What is going on!' O'Hara fumed on talkSPORT's Sports Bar show at full-time. 'Spurs have done it again! Shambles. Get rid of this guy, he's got to go now. Sack him.'
He continued, 'What am I watching? Spurs fans, what on earth are we watching? What has happened to this football club? What has happened to these players? I cannot watch this anymore, get it off my TV.'
Cundy's Merciless Mockery
Co-host and former Chelsea player Cundy showed no mercy towards O'Hara, donning a mask of former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou while laughing in the 39-year-old's face. Cundy had worn the same mask after Tottenham's 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace the previous Thursday.
In a clever play on words, the former Blues man adapted Spurs' slogan from 'To Dare Is To Do' to 'To Dare Is To Poo.'
'It's happened again,' Cundy said. 'To dare is to poo. A couple of weeks ago I said this is starting to bore me, but now I'm having real fun. I'm having so much fun.'
He added, 'You lot are finding new ways to stink out... you've stunk out the Premier League, now you're finding new ways to stink out Europe. You're the laughing stock of the Premier League, now you're the laughing stock of Europe. In Madrid they're laughing at Spurs watching this.'
O'Hara's Scathing Criticism
An emotional O'Hara responded, 'I cannot believe how bad we are. I cannot believe how bad this team is. This manager is a fraud. He's the biggest fraud I've ever seen. Who is this guy? Who appointed this guy?'
When Cundy prodded, 'It's Igor's fault is it?' O'Hara insisted, 'It is his fault! We are terrible. It should have been 9-0. Somehow we scored two goals. We were not good. It was embarrassing.'
The former Wolves and Blackpool star then singled out defender Micky van de Ven for criticism, claiming the Dutchman has 'checked out' and wants to leave the club.
'He doesn't want to be there. That red card, he should've been sent off. He does not want to be at this football club. He has checked out. He is a bit of a disgrace, what he's put in and the way he's acting but I kind of get it. Who wants to be a part of this?'
O'Hara continued, 'He's a decent player, Micky van de Ven - but he's totally checked out, he does not want to be at Tottenham. It is a disgrace the way this club is set up, the way this club is run.'
He concluded, 'Who appointed this guy [Tudor]? Seriously, he is a fraud. I'd rather have a donkey in charge than Igor Tudor. I'd have more fun watching a donkey pick this team.'
Controversial Substitution and Aftermath
Tudor faced widespread criticism after the game for his decision to substitute goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes. The shotstopper was at fault for two horrendous mistakes early in the game.
Speaking after the defeat, Tudor said, 'I am coaching for 15 years and never have done this, but it was necessary to preserve the guy and preserve the team. It was an incredible situation.'
He added, 'Before the game it was the right choice, with pressure on Vicario and Toni a very good goalkeeper. After this happened, of course, it is easy to say it is not the right decision.'
Tudor explained, 'Toni was sorry, he made an excuse for the team. He is a bright guy and a good goalkeeper. The team is with him. Me too. He understands. Unfortunately, it happened big mistakes in a big game. It was too much for us in this moment when we are fragile, we are weak.'
Hart's Criticism of Tudor's Handling
Joe Hart, however, was unhappy with how Tudor handled the situation. The Spurs interim boss, who has now lost all four of his games in charge while conceding 14 goals, blanked the Czech goalkeeper as he made his way down the tunnel.
A number of Spurs players, including Palhinha and Conor Gallagher, raced to console Kinsky after a nightmare Champions League debut, while Tudor ignored him. Atletico fans applauded him off out of sympathy, and when substituted, Djed Spence made a point of shaking Tudor's hand.
Hart said on TNT Sports, 'To get to this level, signed by Spurs, one mistake does not alter you. That is a technical error, but what precedes that... was it the right decision? Maybe it was. But what I saw after...'
He continued, 'I hate being reactive because I like to know all the facts. But the fact he has taken him off in that situation having played him... he is young, 22, he is not a man, he has done nothing to try and hurt Spurs.'
Hart elaborated, '[He had] a couple of bad moments, but to rip him off in this situation and not even acknowledge the guy? Every single one of Tottenham's players who are feeling the pain don't know what to do. How is that good for him?'
He added, 'It is a thing with 'keepers, you have got to accept you will have nights like that. Everyone has them. Buffon, Neuer, Schmeichel. They have had moments, but everything that has gone on top of it, he will feel so unwelcomed as far as the management is involved.'
Hart concluded, 'You have to be treated like a human, just a little bit. I understand the situation. This needs getting a serious grip of. Madness happens all the time in football. That was mad, maybe he didn't handle it how he should have.'
'I saw the whole bench's hearts drop. They are saying, "don't worry we are here for you". It's the human side of things. If you aren't willing to show it, that's when it starts to divide.'
